hoover's g-string - gargle

"Cutting my arm off, I got another one / Cutting my leg off, I got a second one / Cut my head off, cause I don't need it," is how Gargle, the new CD from Hoover's G-String, starts off. The song comes directly at you, holding nothing back, stating that the singer wants to get rid of it all. This first song, "Head," is a fast, simple, wonderful song. The energy, especially when the rhythm explodes into the chorus, is abundant. It's a solid song and an equally solid CD.

Jim Reinholz (bass/guiatar), Kelly Garton (drums), and Jeff Reinholz (vocals, guitars) comprise Hoover's G-String, a band based firmly in the indie-pop, guitar-driven sound genre. However, the arrangements on the CD are not complacent; they are not the same old, tired sounds. The songs are unique, yet familiar, too. The apparent simplicity of the songs can be misleading, considering their depth. They convey feelings that does not rely solely on the lyrics to express, which I found very refreshing. For Hoover's G-String, the music counts as much as the words.

The edgy and straight-ahead vocals and feel you hear on "Head" surface throughout the album but do not constitute a crutch for the band. A nice instrumental with wonderful guitar work awaits the listener on "Chinese Water Torture Test." Other songs have Jeff singing in a controlled, measured voice, raising it a notch only when it aids the song, not just for effect.

"Sick of Trying" sort of reminds me of a Matthew Sweet sound but with less drone. The latest singled off Gargle, "Bakersfield," deals with frustration and longing, and it has a more subdued sound to match the subject matter--until a short chorus in which they rant about it.

Perhaps a hint to the band's mindset can be found in their logo, a picture of a fat J. Edgar Hoover in a g-string (surprise) and pumps with a look of resignation on his face--not overjoyed about exposing everything, but not ashamed either. "Here it is," he seems to be saying. Hoover's G-String's music says the same thing: "Here is it, this is who we are." Who they are is a solid band.